Irrigation device



March I, 193.

W. H. COLES Ei' AL IRRIGATION DEVICE Filed May 21,"1932 Patented Mar. 10, 1936 oNrrEoA srATl-ES g man :IRRIAGA'rioN DEVICE Walter H. Coles and A`Bert J. Nelson, Troy, Ohio, assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, of .one-half to The Skinner Irrigation Company, Troy, Ohio, a-corporation of Ohio,.and onehalf toy William A. Buckner, Fresno, Calif.

`Application Maly 21, A1932,y Serial.N0. 612,771

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to sprinkling systems and more particularly -to sprinkling systems-in which portable sprinklers are'connected to water supply conduits whichfare arranged'below the ground .levelso 'that when theportable sprinkler is disconnected and removed there'will be Ano obstruction above the surface of ithe ground.

One object of the invention is the provision of a sprinkling system having a self-closing valve l0'. provided below the ground level, the valve being adapted for ready attachment to a sprinkler supporting pipe which extends up from the valve through a iiexible walled tube reaching up to the level of the ground, softhat when-the* sprinkl ling pipeis removed the topof the flexible walled tube-,providesa surface giving a tread for a personsshoe or for the iron shoe of'a horse which is similar to the tread of the ground.

Another object of the invention is the provisionof-asprinkling system in which a flexible walled tube is provided on an underground selfclosingfvalve so :that the top `ot'thetube is even with the; ground surface, the tube having closure meansrprovided well below the top of the tube tmprevent: dirt or the like from falling down into the `valve,so arranged'thatthe closure means may begpulledup out ofthe tube tol clean the tube andfremove any dirt that might have fallen into itsupper open end.

-Cther Vobjects and advantages rof the inventionnfwillbe apparent from the following description, :the-appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a `vertical central section through a porti-on of .a sprinkling system embodying the presen-,t invention Fig;2 'isi aview shown/partly in section showing the sprinkler supporting pipe applied to the underground valve cassing; and

40 Fig. 3 isfa sectionon theline 3-3 of Fig. 1.

' VThepresent'iiivention relates to a Vsprinkling system 'tor baseball parks, Ipolo grounds, play eldsandithe like in which there is an underground system or water supply pipes to'which portablesprinklers'maybe.connected at various Aspaced; points. In-watering abaseball diamond `for/example there may be several `outlets in the outfield and one or more inlthe infield providing connections' where portable sprinklers may be attached from time to'time when the iieldis not in use- When the field is in use, however, `the portable sprinkers are removed. It has been the prae- .tice in sprinkling systems of this general char- `acters,toprovide a cap or closure for the top ci' the sprinkling pipeloutletwherever these Outlets occur, but sucha cap orV closure memberfbeing of quite considerable extent and beingnecessarily quite hard, provides a spot onftherground which has-atractive resistance or effect when stepped on by one running after a ballor whentrod on by the. shoe of a horse whichisrquite different from the rtractive vresistance or effect of the ground..

In accordance withthepresent invention the underground water. supply y pipes I 0 of. an `underground water distributingsystem are provided at 10 each outletpoi-nt with. a self-.closing valvex I I provided well below the.ground .level I 2 .A. flexible walled tube `I3 extendsupfromthe topvoithe valve II, the upperlend of the tube ISbeingar'- ranged iiush or even with v.the surface .of ,the i5 groundasY shown inFig. l. fThe tube I3 is-,preferably a cylindrical vthick Vwalled member-constructed kof rubber preferably reinforced with fabric. The tube issuiiicientlyflexibleso `that itstop can be deformed whenV trod-upon, although 20 its Walls are .thick enoughso that it willnot ,be

movedpermanently or objectionably, out of. shape when the vground l immediately Avadjacent thereto is pressed. Theupperend of the tube is normally open so that-there will not-be an objectionable continuous surface on whicha shoe would slip, the tractive resistance or eiiectfofferedby the hollow tubebeing of a character Vwhich isabout the same as that `oiered bythe adjacent ground. As the tube is of a rather softandyieldingchan 30 acter, if the projecting lug on the end of. a horses shoe comes in contact with it the .tube ,can yield suiciently to `avoid injury and immediately return toits normal position when the shoe is removed.

Thelower end of the tube I3 is provided on a cylindrical .wall l5 of the valve Il,v being preferably held .in-place by means of a strap IG encircling the outside of the tube. The cylindrical surface I5 is preferably providedon a portion I'I 40 of the .valve which is threaded at I8 on the lower valve portion I9, the portions I1 and I9 forming a valve casing in which the self-closing valve 20 is arranged. The lower end of the .valve portion I9 is threaded so that it may be secured 45 on the threaded end of the underground water supply pipe Ill.

The valve 2l! is of such character that it is closed by the pressure of the water below it, the closing action of the valve being assisted by a compres- 50 sion spring 2| which bears at its lower end against a cross rib 22 which may be integrally cast with the valve portion I9. A guide 4pin 23 extends freely through the rib 22 Vand is secured'at Yits `upper end .to the lower Side of the Valve closure 55 member thus serving as a guide for the closure member. The upper end of the valve member is guided in a cylindrical opening 24 in the valve portion i9, it being understood that when the valve member is pushed down the water can iiow past the valve and up through the opening 24. Normally, however, the valve is in its raised position bearing against the seat 26 as shown in Fig. 2 and thus shutting off the ow of water up through the valve.

When the water outlet is not in use the exible walled tube |3 contains a plug or closure 39 which may be of rubber or any other desired material and which preferably fits snugly within the tube so as to prevent any dirt that might fall into the upper end of the tube from passing down into the valve. Normally the upper end of the tube i3 is open because the top of the plug or closure 33 s well below the ground level as shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to use the water outlet for sprinkling the adjacent ground, the plug 39 is removed by pulling up on the handle or ring 3| which can be reached by a suitable tool, and as the plug moves up in the tube it cleans out any dirt or stones that might have fallen in above it. This exposes the valve so that the portable sprinkler which is to be connected to the outlet can be readily secured in place.

The portable sprinkler is carried by a pipe 33 which is xed on a connection 34 provided at the upper end of a vertical pipe 35. The pipe 35 is long enough and smaller in diameter than the inside dimensions of the tube I3 so that it can be readily passed down into the tube and so that its threaded lower end can be secured into the threads 31 which are provided in the valve member |1. When thus threaded in place on the valve casing, the pipe 35 supports the connection 34 above the level of the ground.

Within the pipe 35 is suitable means for causing operation of the valve. As herein shown, the pipe contains a rod 39 which is guided for vertical movements and held in a centered position by means of a cross rib 40 arranged in the connection member 4|. 'I'he upper end of the rod 39 is secured rigidly to a pair of cross plates 42 which are guided in the cylindrical passage 43 in the connection member 4|. A spring 44 is shown arranged to hold the rod 39 normally in its uppermost position so that the bottom of the rod will be slightly above the top of the valve 20. Vertical movements of the rod 39 are controlled by a handle 46 pivotally mounted in the connection member 41 which may be secured to the connection member 4| by means of a suitable bayonet connection permitting the attachment of the member 41 by merely applying it to the top of member 4| and then turning the former through a part of a revolution. The lever 46 is secured to a rotatable shaft 49 which carries an eccentric cam 50, the cam 50 being arranged to depress the cross plates 42 when the lever 46 is moved from its normal horizontal position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. When the cross plates 42 are depressed the rod 39 is forced down and its lower end engages and presses down on the top of the valve 20, thus opening the valve and permitting the water to flow up through the pipe 35 and through the connection 34 to the sprinkler provided on the pipe 33. YWhen the sprinkling operation has been completed, the lever 46 is turned yso as to shut olf the supply oi water, the valve 20 closing under the force of the water and by means of the spring 2|. The enthrough the tube no ow of water takes place from the self-closing valve so that the sprinkler can be carried over to a second outlet and attached and started in operation without turning off the Water supply of the system. After removing the pipe 35 from the tube, the plug 30 is pushed down in the tube so that its top is well below the top of the tube I3, leaving the top of the tube open so as to offer a tread which may be of substantially the same character as the ground itself.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is dened in the` appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a water distributing system of the character described, an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and provided entirely below the ground level, a selfclosing valve in said casing, a flexible walled tube fixed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening with its upper end provided even with the ground level, a water conduit of a diameter of the same order as the inside diameter of the said tube adapted to be detachably supported within said tube, and means carried by said water conduit for opening said valve.

2. In a Water distributing system of the character described, an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and provided entirely below the ground level, a selfclosing valve in said casing, a flexible walled tube fixed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening with its upper end provided even with the ground level, said valve casing having means adapted for detachable connection with a distributing pipe, and closure means of yielding material within said tube adapted to be withdrawn upwardly from said tube.

3. In a water distributing system of the character described, an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and entirely below the ground level, a self-closing valve in said casing adapted to prevent iiow therethrough when the valve is in its upper position, a cylindrical flexible walled tube fixed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening with its upper end provided even with the ground level, and readily removable closure means for said tube arranged in said tube with its upper end well below the top of the tube. the top of the tube being open for a distance commensurate with the tube diameter.

4. In a water distributing system of the character described, an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and provided entirely below the ground level, a selfclosing valve in said casing, a cylindrical flexible rubber walled tube xed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening with its upper end provided even with the ground level, a vertical pipe having an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said tube and extending up from said valve casing through said tube ,and reaching above the top of the tube and detachably connected to the valve casing at its lower end, and operating means for said valve carried by said vertical pipe.V

5. In a water distributing system of `the character described, an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and provided entirely below the ground level, a selfclosing valve in said casing, a cylindrical flexible walled tube iixed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening with its upper end provided even with the ground level, a pipe adapted for detachable connection with the upper end of said valve casing and extending up above the top of said tube, said pipe having an outside diameter only slightly less than the inside diameter of the said tube, a vertical rod movably mounted in said vertical pipe and adapted for engagernentA with said valve, and means carried by the upper end of said pipe for vertically moving said rod to provide for the manual opening and closing of the valve;

6. In a water distributing system of the char- .acter described, l an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and provided entirely below the ground level, a valve in said casing operable to close the passage through said casing, a flexible walled tube xed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening, with its upper end provided even with the ground level, a water conduit of a diameter of the same order as the inside diameter of the said tube adapted to be detachably supported within said tube with its lower end connected to said valve casing and means carried by said water conduit for opening said valve.

'7. In' a water distributing system of the character described, an underground distributing pipe, a valve casing connected to said pipe and provided entirely below the ground level, a valve lin said casing operable to close the passage through said casing, a flexible walled tube xed to said valve casing and extending upwardly therefrom a distance exceeding the diameter of the tube opening with its upper end provided even with the ground level, said valve casinghaving means adapted for detachable connection with a distributing pipe, and closure means of yielding material within said tube adapted to be withdrawn upwardly from said tube.

WALTER I-I. COLES. BERT J. NELSON. 

